


Eye of the Beholder

by Orangistae



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Crack, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 05:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14442681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orangistae/pseuds/Orangistae
Summary: “I read your file on the man in the suit- is this really everything you’ve got on him?”~~~Or: John Reese is stupidly good-looking and the NYPD knows it.





	Eye of the Beholder

“I read your file on the man in the suit- is this really everything you’ve got on him?” Donnelly asks, dropping a manila folder onto Carter’s desk. “We don’t even a full description, just ‘tall white male in his thirties or forties with dark hair.’ Wearing a suit.” He frowns at the folder. “This guy operates in broad daylight, and yet no one can tell us what his face looks like. How is that possible?”

Carter cringes inwardly. She’d been hoping to avoid this, but now that Donnelly’s brought it up she doesn’t have much choice, so she takes a breath and says, “Well, actually…”

Donnelly’s head snaps up. “Carter, have you been holding out on me?”

“All the important information is in the file, but there _are_ some additional details in the original reports, if you want to see them.”

“I do.”

Ducking Donnelly’s disappointed gaze, Carter pulls the bottom drawer of her desk open and makes a show of rifling through it before selecting a folder half-hidden at the very back. She holds it out to Donnelly. “Help yourself, but like I said, everything important is already in the other file; I doubt you’ll find anything useful.”

“Thank you, Detective, but I think I’ll decide that for myself.” 

Taking the folder with an impatient jerk, he flips it open and starts reading.

 

~~~ 

 

William MacIntyre scowls. “I already told the other officer, it was some man in a suit. What does he have to do with anything? You do know that my wife just tried to have me _killed_?”

“Yes, sir, I understand that you must be very upset. But we believe this man may be involved in another case we’re investigating, so I’d appreciate it if you could tell me anything you remember about him,” Carter says.

She manages to extract a basic physical description of the man in question: white male with short dark hair, at least six feet tall, approximately forty years old. It could be her guy, or it could any one of a million other men in New York who match that description.

“Was there anything else you noticed? Something he said, any distinguishing features?”

“I really couldn’t say, I wasn’t paying much attention. Although I do remember that he was quite rude,” MacIntyre sniffs. “One of those arrogant, good-looking types.”

“I see,” Carter says. “Well, that’s all very helpful. Thank you very much for your time.”

 

.

 

“Then suddenly the door burst open and this man came out of nowhere and grabbed the gun right out of Eddie’s hand. And then I guess they were fighting but I didn’t stay to watch, I just ran straight to the bathroom and locked the door and didn’t come out until you and your partner showed up.”

“That’s good, you did the right thing, making sure to keep yourself safe,” Carter says, giving Mrs Kovach a reassuring smile. She may not approve of vigilantism, but it’s hard to argue with the results of this particular incident.

She’s still got a job to do, though.

“This other man, you said he was a stranger? Could you describe him?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t see him very clearly,” Mrs Kovach says. “He was white, I’m pretty sure. Wearing a dark suit.”

“Do you remember anything else about him?” Carter asks. “Any details that stood out?”

Mrs Kovach thinks for a moment. “Well, um. He did strike me as being very handsome.”

Carter’s expression is carefully neutral as she nods and adds it to her notes. “Okay. Well, it’s not much to go on but I’ll be sure to let you know if we find out anything more. I’m afraid I have to get going now, but you have my number, and I’ll check in on you in a few days, alright?”

 

. 

 

Carter glances at the figure lying in the hospital bed, and lets out a quiet sigh of exasperation before straightening her shoulders and striding over.

“Mr Dmitriev, right? I’m Detective Carter, NYPD. Care to tell me what you were doing in a warehouse full of illegal weapons? Or how you got that bullet in your knee?” 

No answer.

“Alright, you’re not feeling very talkative, I get it,” Carter says. “How about yes or no questions, then? Now, let me guess: did it involve a man in a suit?”

This time, Dmitriev answers immediately and at great length.

“…you tell that fucker if I ever see him again, I’ll bash his pretty face in!” he finishes.

“I’ll be sure to pass that along.”

 

. 

 

“There was a bunch of regulars hanging outside the gym,” Tina Ramirez says, “and this James Bond-looking guy comes up and says something to one of them, and then they start fighting--”

“I’m sorry, ‘James Bond-looking guy’? What do you mean by that?” Carter interjects.

Tina shrugs. “Hot white dude in a fancy suit. Seriously, he looked like he just stepped out of a movie or something, all chiselled and brooding and shit.”

“Yeah, okay, I get the picture. So they were fighting, and then?”

 

. 

 

“…a man in a suit.”

“Could you describe him?”

“Yeah, tall, dark and gorgeous.”

 

. 

 

“…strong, broad shoulders…”

 

. 

 

“…piercing eyes…”

 

. 

 

“…cheekbones for _days_ …”

 

. 

 

“Hey Carter, what the hell does ‘Byronic’ mean?”

 

~~~

 

Donnelly finishes reading the file. Stony-faced, he closes the folder and sets it down on Carter’s desk.

“Thank you, Detective Carter. That was… enlightening.”

“So?” Carter prompts. “Is there anything you think ought to be added to our official description?”

“No. No, you were right, there’s nothing useful in there,” Donnelly says, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighs. “I hope I wasn’t too sharp with you earlier. I want to assure you how much I appreciate all the work you’ve done on this case.”

“Thank you.”

He glances at his watch. “I’ll leave you to it, but please keep me informed if there are any further developments. Anything important, I mean.”

“Of course.” 

Donnelly gives Carter a respectful nod. 

“Detective Carter.”

“Agent Donnelly.”

He turns away and disappears into the elevator. 

Several moments later, Fusco comes by and finds Carter bent over her desk in a fit of silent laughter.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” he asks, side-eyeing her suspiciously. “Did that FBI stiff grow a sense of humor or something?”

Carter looks from the closed folder on her desk back to Fusco’s face and cracks up again.

“Trust me, Fusco, you don’t even wanna know.”


End file.
